The present invention relates to baking ovens, particularly for baking flat bread loaves (also known as "Pitah" or Syrian Bread). The invention is most useful for relatively small production capacity such as between 1000 and 2000 loaves per hour.
There are known various types of Pitah baking ovens, usually being of the endless-belt type.
As known in the Pitah baking industry, loaves, traveling on an endless belt within tunnel ovens are first subjected to intense high heat assuring the formation of an outer crispy reddish cover as well as an inner air pocket. Therefore, in baking installations the control of the heat versus transfer duration of the loaves is critical and requires careful design and performance which have been up to now only achieved with respect to large manufacturing systems.
It is the general object of the invention to provide small-size, low capacity ovens of simple construction which may readily be installed at any convenient location with minimum space requirements, such as small bakeries or even restaurants.
It is a further object of the invention to equip such small-size ovens with simple and effective control means.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide the oven with mainly three types of adjustment and control means, namely the distance between the heat source and the bread loaves; the duration of the baking phase; and the rate of hot gasses exhaustion from the oven heating space.
According to the invention it is provided an oven for baking flat bread such as Pitah, comprising a rotatably mounted support for the baked bread, means for rotating the support at a pre-determined speed, a cover overhanging the support defining a substantially confined space thereabove, heating means provided on said cover and hot gases exhaust means associated with said cover.
Preferably, the said support is made of sheet material and of cone-or dome-shape, and the said cover is of corresponding shape and measures.
The distance between the rotatable support and the cover, as well as the rate of hot gasses exhaust may be adjusted, by providing a vertically adjustable chimney as the center of the oven, allowing variable projection distance of the lower chimney end into the said heating space.